business
512 posts
Marketing Is….
mar-ket-ing noun 1. the act of buying or selling in a market. 2. the total of activities involved in the transfer of goods from the producer or seller to the consumer or buyer, including advertising, shipping, storing and selling. Actually marketing is….. finding ways to tell the story of what you d
Crafting Your Intention
I met a really passionate financial planner recently who was a bit stuck about how to craft a 30 second pitch to deliver to the people he met at networking events. The problem was that while he was agonising over finding the right words he lost the ability to communicate his intention. If you have…
Rethinking The Sales Process
The food halls and nail bars were humming last Thursday evening. Apparently when they have a few extra shopping hours people want to do one of two things, grab a bite to eat or have their nails done. The designer clothes boutiques were dead. Not a soul in sight in any of them, apart from…
The Fortune Cookie Principle™
Every idea, innovation, product and service has two elements. The cookie…. the commodity, the utility, the tangible, the facts, the logical benefit. The cookie is the thing you put in the shop window which has a fixed inherent value. Then there’s the fortune, the intangible part of the product or se
The Easy Way Out
A $6000 full page advert in a magazine with a readership of 200,000 people might feel like a bargain. All those eyeballs connected to all those credit cards just waiting to discover you. Now all the advert must do is convince people to pick up the phone. Buying ads feels safe, but handing over adver
The Elephant In The Room
John (not his real name) was discussing the features and benefits of a new product he’s bringing to market with me yesterday. He had a niggle, a way which his product worked that other products in the same category didn’t. An elephant in the room. He wondered if this might be a problem. What if…
You Scratch My Back
The suited up guy approached me at the end of the meeting saying he wanted to find ways to promote my business. He was that impressed! “There is a quid pro quo though.” he said. The old you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours routine. A transaction. This for that. The most valuable relationships…
No Strings
Alexx saw the sign outside the local gym and decided that there was no excuse. It was just a hundred metres from her front door and was advertising a six week membership for just $99. An opportunity not to be missed. As she signed up Alexx tried to overlook the quiet desperation of the owner.…
The Story Is Your Advantage
“Whoever tells the best story wins.” —Annette Simons This is the whole truth, and it scares all kinds of people, from creators to scientists, fledgling entrepreneurs to established brands. The best man doesn’t always win. It’s not enough to be bigger or better, and that frightens us because our unde
Speak Human
The new perspex sign in the toilets of fast food restaurant read… “It is our intent to provide you with the cleanest possible facility. If the room needs attention please notify a Manager.” I stood in the mirrorless bathroom looking at it for some time wondering how this was supposed to make me feel
Selling The Facts
Front row seats. That ring in a certain ‘blue box’. 70% dark chocolate. Business class flights. Pumpkins at Halloween. Botox. iPad mini. Frappuccino. 12 months gym membership in January. Free range chicken. The bestseller everyone is talking about. That black BMW. Vitamins. The honeymoon suite. Glut
What The Cold Caller Forgot
He forgot to think about you and not just him. He forgot you were busy. He forgot to work hard to add value and build an asset over time. He forgot to give before trying to take. He forgot that you don’t care about his emergency. He forgot that he can’t buy your permission. He…
The Bottom Line
There’s an irony about entrepreneurship or starting a business and it’s this. When you begin you’re obsessed with the starting part. Just starting it seems is enough. You may have a vision for what could be, but there is not so much pressure to get there in the beginning. Once you’ve succeeded a lit
Great Marketing Is Baked In Not Sprinkled On
The most common misconception in business is that you should work on your idea now, and add marketing later…. when you’re done. Marketing is not just the icing on the cake, or the sprinkles on the top. Marketing is the whole cake. The quality of flour you use. The lightness of touch of the baker.…
Stand Out By Telling A Better Brand Story
The summer of 1980 was a terrible time to own a hair salon on Sydney’s Queen Street. The mile long suburban street had over twenty salons to choose from, and haircuts that were once $20, had been steadily knocked down a dollar at a time by each salon in turn. The first salon to discount…
Business Would Be Great If It Weren’t For The Customers
There was no doubt that I could have chosen a better time to go shopping for special flowers, than first thing on Saturday morning in early Spring. The lone florist reluctantly came out from the back room to ask how she could help, then let out a sigh when she realised it wasn’t going to…
Give Them A Reason
Half of the products in your pantry now have a ‘like us on Facebook’ icon on the label. Why should you like a brand of mass produced honey on Facebook? Why does the brand manager think you should care? Marketing is about doing great work that gets noticed. It’s about giving people a reason to…
Make Your Idea Matter
Make Your Idea Matter is finally available to buy on Amazon. Thanks to the people who bought the book yesterday it bagged a Top 3 spot on the Amazon Bestsellers list overnight! It’s taken most of our Australian winter (or your summer), to simply get the book edited, formatted, designed and ready for
Thinking About How People Feel Vs Making People Do
Every one of us is a marketer. We spend our days persuading people to do what we want them to do. “Buy now.” “Click here.” “Please retweet.” “Only 5 4 left.” “Don’t drink and drive.” “Eat your greens and you’ll grow big and strong.” My friend Mark and his wife Cindy own and run a…
Hiding Behind The Truth
I walked into the empty store clutching my receipt and the faulty garment. After one wear and one delicate wash several holes had appeared out of nowhere in the fabric. My ten-day-since-purchase window had expired so I couldn’t get a refund but I was happy to take store credit. The manager examined
